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The Search for Rachel, a father's journal

Saturday, January 1 through Monday, January 3, 2005

I've been a little slow with journal updates this past two months because there isn't much to report. Starting this year I will go to a weekly journal format except when there is news that requires a separate journal entry.

Many people have asked me what we are doing on January 10 for the third anniversary of Rachel's disappearance. I have not set up anything, and we probably won't have a public event. It's very hard to go through this over and over again.

Tuesday, January 4 through Sunday, January 9

Our family has decided in lieu of having a 3-year remembrance of Rachel's disappearance to give a donation to the victims of the Asian tsunami. We also decided to invite other people to make donations in Rachel's name. An information page has been set up on www.rachelcookesearch.org/tsunami . People may donate through us or give donations directly to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Save the Children, or many other international aid organizations.

Thousands of people were killed or injured in this disaster. Countless others are missing or have lost their homes. Another huge problem which is developing in the disaster area is the kidnapping and sexual slavery of children and women. With so many homeless adults and orphan children, it is easy for the creeps who exploit them to take advantage of the situation.

I did interviews with NBC affiliate KXAN and News Radio KLBJ on Friday. Sunday morning Janet and I appeared on CBS affiliate KEYE and later did an interview with ABC affiliate KVUE. Tomorrow we will probably interview with the local FOX affiliate.

Monday, January 10

Today marks three years since Rachel disappeared. We never thought it would go on this long without any answers. We don't know much more than we did in January 2002.

I did an interview with KVUE around noon today, and later Janet, JoAnn, and I did interviews with FOX 7. The news coverage was pretty good even though we didn't do a major remembrance event.

My two sisters, my brother, and I visited Rachel's tree, which was planted in January 2003 on the one-year anniversary of her disappearance. The tree is doing well. There is even a bird's nest in it.

Tuesday, January 11

This morning I spoke with Tim Miller, the director of Texas EquuSearch. Texas EquuSearch is traveling to Sri Lanka to search for tsunami victims. U.S. Congressman Nick Lampson and the International Foundation for Revitalization, Empowerment, Education and Development are supporting TES's trip, but they still need additional financial help.

A link has been added to Rachel's tsunami page to donate directly to the TES trip, or we can forward them the funds. Tim invited me to go with them, but I have two missing person classes in Phoenix to teach to law enforcement next week.

Wednesday, January 12 through Sunday, January 16

I spoke with Tim Miller from Texas EquuSearch again. TES will leave for Sri Lanka on Monday, January 17. Global Peace Initiative is transporting the search and rescue team on their Boeing 747, Global Peace One. This is great news since the plane will have plenty of room for supplies, ATVs, and other items needed for searches. Donations for the TES trip are still needed. Please click here to donate.

My friend Marie will be going with TES. She is a long-time Rachel Cooke Search member, a Rachel Alert member, and a Texas EquuSearch member. My sister Elaine and I put together a care package for Marie and the other TES members to take with them.

I made another quick trip to Phoenix to teach my section in the law enforcement CEO training course on missing adults. The class went well, and I flew back to Austin on Sunday night.

Monday, January 17 through Thursday, January 20

Our next free M.U.S.T. self-defense and awareness class is this Sunday from 2:00-4:00 p.m. It will be held at B's Gathering House in Round Rock. For more information go to rachelalert.org/must .

The first First Responder Training Course on Missing Adults was hosted by the National Center for Missing Adults in Phoenix this week. Guidelines, examples of missing person cases, legal concerns, and many other important issues were covered in the course. I gave a victim's impact statement from the family's point-of-view.

Friday, January 21 through Sunday, January 23

The 747 that Texas EquuSearch was to fly to Sri Lanka on had mechanical problems, so the team's departure was delayed again. TES finally left Friday on a commercial flight. The medical team that was to travel on the same 747 took a different commercial flight. TES arrived in Sri Lanka Saturday night.

Twenty-one females attended our M.U.S.T. beginner self-defense and awareness seminar at B's Gathering House in Round Rock. Around half of them stayed for the advanced M.U.S.T. seminar.

Monday, January 23 through Monday, January 31

Three Rachel Alert Network officers will attend a missing person organization round table on April 2. The CUE Center is hosting the event. CUE states "The primary focus (is) to bring together those who network on a daily basis for missing persons to better communicate, learn about each other’s services, unify a support system for families of the missing, and offer professional education in search and rescue."

I will be closing off the tsunami donation fund on Rachel's site soon. The information page will remain to encourage people to donate directly to one of the organizations listed and linked.

Additional requests are being submitted to Fox Valley Technical College and the National Center for Missing Adults for future adult missing person training courses. The first responder course is taught at individual law enforcement training facilities. I'm glad the word is getting around about the class. I would like to see it taught in all regions of the United States.